Devon and Cornwall met at Plymouth recently in their first match of the new season. Cornwall were competitive in the top half of the team, winning or drawing 4 of the top 8 games, but Devon’s strength in depth meant they won 7 of the lower 8 games, to give the overall score of 4 -12 a one-sided look. The details were as follows (Cornish names 1st in each pairing).

The 17th Royal Beacon Seniors Congress starts a fortnight on Monday in the Exmouth sea front hotel. There are some new faces among the regulars, including a former British Ladies Champion, a Correspondence Champion, a Latvian and identical twins. Late entries are still acceptable and a downloadable entry form may be found on chessdevon.org.

Here is a game from the 2005 event with something of an international feel to it.

White: Wim Wender (Netherlands), Black: Brian Ross (Wales),

French Defence [C00]

1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 White nearly always plays 2.d4 here, but the Dutch often like to play in a sharp, unconventional style. 2…d5 3.e5 c5 4.b4 Suddenly this resembles a Sicilian Defence Wing Gambit. 4…a6 Black is perhaps a little wary of accepting the “free” offer: e.g. 4…cxb4 5.a3 Nc6 6.axb4 Bxb4 7.Ba3 Nge7 8.Bxb4 Nxb4 9.c3 Nbc6 10.d4 etc. 5.bxc5 Bxc5 6.d4 Be7 7.a4 b6 8.Bd3 Nc6 9.0–0 Bb7 10.c3 Rc8 11.Qe2 Ra8 12.Qb2 White now brings his queen back over to the queenside and concentrates on looking for play there. 12…Na5 13.Nfd2 g6 14.Na3 Qc7 15.Rb1 Bd8 16.c4 Ne7 17.cxd5 Nxd5 18.Nac4 Nxc4 19.Nxc4 0–0 Having discovered which side Black was going to castle, White’s attack switches sides, and it is the quickness of the switch that is so telling. 20.Bh6 Re8 21.Rfc1 Qb8 Probably the least worst option, with the threat of Nd6 looming. If 21…Qd7 22.Nd6 Re7 It’s often said that with a knight established on the 6th rank, the attack should play itself. 22.Nd6 Re7 23.h4 Rc7 24.h5 Rxc1+ 25.Rxc1 Ne7 26.Ne8 Kh8 27.Qd2 Nd5 28.Nd6 Threatening Nxf7+ Black has no pieces anywhere near his threatened king. 28…Kg8 29.Qe2 Ra7 30.hxg6 fxg6 31.Qg4 Be7 If 31…Bc8 32.Rxc8 Qxc8. 32.Qxe6+ 1-0 Black resigned, in view of 32…Kh8 33.Nf7+ Kg8 34.Nd8+ Kh8 35.Qf7 etc. Just as effective was 32.Bxg6 when Black can still do nothing to stave off mate. Here is another win by the Dutchman from the 2009 event.

As Black was about to queen with check in last week’s “Pawn Puzzle”, White had to get his check in first and the only way to do this was by “under-promoting” to a knight; hence 1.a8=N+! forcing the king to the back rank, enabling 2.g8=Q mate.

This week’s problem is not quite a pawns-only position, but is from a blitz game earlier this year which means that White had c. 12 seconds to find a winning move. How long will you take to find it?

A century or so ago, Stroud in Gloucestershire was a busy centre of chess activity. It was home of the British Chess Company, founded by William Moffat (1843 – 1918) and William Hughes. They sold general chess equipment, from scoresheets to instructional books, but particularly sets made in cheaper modern alternatives to the traditional ivory ones made by Jacques, helping to bring them within reach of those with more modest incomes.

Also in the town were the offices of a new chess magazine, The Chess Amateur, started in 1916 and running until 1930, when it may have become a victim of the Great Depression. This was part of a publishing house run in George Street, Stroud, by Harry Harmer of a long-standing local family. Whether the two companies were connected in some way is not clear.

The magazine was lighter and brighter in tone and appearance than the more staid British Chess Magazine, founded in 1880 and still running today. Its regular contributors included Harold Meek, with a “Half Hours” column, who later donated the West of England’s Inter-County trophy, and Carslake Winter-Wood (“News & Notes”). The American, Alain C. White, wrote articles on chess problems and organised solving tournaments, as he also did for BCM. Also, when he started editing his famous Christmas Series of problem books (44 titles between 1905 and 1934, and now highly collectable), the majority were printed in Stroud.

It is, perhaps, no coincidence that the demise of the The Chess Amateur in 1930 led B. H. Wood to spot a gap in the market which he was happy to fill in 1935 when he founded his Chess magazine, which he ran for over half a century.

I recently acquired a small 32p booklet entitled Fifty Pawn Problems, published by the British Chess Company of Stroud and costing 4d (1½p). It gives no date or author, but it has been stated elsewhere that it forms the 1st section of a later book by J. H. Blake entitled Chess Endings For Beginners which went to a 2nd edition in 1901. This would strongly suggest that my booklet is in fact by the Hampshire man, Joseph Henry Blake (1859 – 1951), and must have been published c. 1895.

In last week’s position, Black could achieve both his aims of avoiding mate and maintaining his material advantage by playing Qe7! which places an additional attacking piece on the advanced rook, and cannot be taken because of Rd1 mate.

Here is position No. 6 from that penny ha’penny booklet, with the instruction White to play and mate in 2.

The key to last week’s 2-mover by John Brown was 1.Qe7! If 1…Bxf4 2. Be4#, or 1…Kxf4 2.Qf6#, or 1…Bf3 2.Qxf7# and finally 1…Bg7 2.Qg5#.

In this position from a game earlier this year Black is a piece up but is about to be mated unless he can find a move that not only avoids mate but maintains his material advantage. He succeeded; can you see how?

Last weekend’s TV schedules flagged up the start of a new adventure series entitled Hooten and the Lady, with high production standards and deeming it enjoyable but forgettable Friday night candy floss. In it, British Museum curator, young Lady Alex Lindo-Parker, jets off to the Amazon rainforest in search of Col. Percy Fawcett’s lost camp, is thrown together with maverick adventurer Hooten, and within on-screen minutes the pair stumble on a cave containing a skeleton, presumably that of Fawcett, grasping a treasure map in its bony hand, which quickly leads them to the fabled city of gold, El Dorado. The fact that scores of expeditions from Sir Walter Raleigh’s in 1595 to Fawcett’s in 1925 had all failed in that very same project is neither here nor there; one must suspend one’s disbelief.

What the programme doesn’t mention (and why should it?) is that Fawcett was brought up at 3, Barnpark Terrace, Teignmouth, together with 3 sisters and an older brother, Edward Douglas (1866-1960), who led a life every bit as exotic as Percy; a pioneering science fiction writer, philosopher, alpinist, aviator & chessplayer.

Douglas founded the Totnes Club in 1901 and played for Devon. He moved to Switzerland for many years to concentrate on his mountaineering, but after a heart attack halfway up the Matterhorn at the age of 66 he was forced to give up, and returned to quieter pursuits, including chess. He played in the Paignton Congress from its inception in 1951 to 1959 died in 1960 aged 94.

A report of Paignton 1958 said “Of the veteran players, 92 year old Mr. Douglas Fawcett, played some good games and delighted everyone with his memories of Pillsbury and his first game with Steinitz, played in 1879”.

Much more detail of his life may be found on keverelchess.com/e-douglas-fawcett.

Here is his game from Rd. 8 of the Southsea Congress 1949, in which he beats the 9-times Irish Champion, illustrating his sharp attacking style.

Many more games from the event may be played through or downloaded from the chessdevon website.

The West of England Inter-County Jamboree took place on Sunday at the Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre, Taunton, with, like Paignton, a lower than usual entry. Devon retained the Congress Cup for the top section with 8½/12 points, followed by Somerset (6) and Cornwall (3½). The grade-limited section was won by the Torbay League (7½/12), followed by Gloucestershire (6) and Somerset II (4).

Last week’s 2-move miniature by David Howard was solved by 1.Qg1! threatening 2.Qg5 mate. If 1…Kxh4 2.Qh2 mate.

Here is a 2-move finish by Keith Arkell from a game earlier this year. If it seems relatively easy from this point, the skill lies in reaching the position in the first place.

The Paignton Congress has always been held on the first week of September, after the kids have gone back to school and by allowing the magnificent Oldway Mansion to host a chess congress free of charge, originally, the local Council could feel they were stretching the holiday season a bit. As the years went by budgets tightened and local councils everywhere found themselves unable to offer such largesse and hire charges were introduced.

Eventually, the cash-strapped Torbay Council felt obliged to give up Oldway and its surroundings, the Fernham Estate and eight years ago sold it to a developer, who promised wonderful things including that the Congress would/might be able to return to Oldway after it had been converted into a de luxe hotel. Yet nothing happened. For six years the place was effectively mothballed and the puzzlement of chessplayers and local citizens gradually grew to anger as the building continued to decay.

Behind the scenes, the developer realised that the gardens surrounding Oldway were Grade 1 listed, even higher than the Mansion itself, and his Plan A, to move in the bulldozers and build houses, the proceeds of which would pay for the hotel, proved unworkable. The developer and the Council locked horns, suing each other in court, until just before this year’s Congress when the news broke that the developer had dropped the case and handed the estate back to the Council, “for the good of the building”.

There was some talk among players that this might mean a possible return to Oldway, or whether they preferred the Livermead anyway, with all that it had to offer; on the seafront with splendid views over Torbay, in-house accommodation, easier parking, an outdoor swimming pool, quiet carpeted playing room, next to the station etc. So who needs Oldway? That story is on-going.

Meanwhile, local resident, GM Keith Arkell, was odds-on to win the Premier, as he was 316 ratings points above his nearest rivals, Stephen Peters and Stewart Ashley. Even so, the others still had £650 prize-money to play for. Keith’s record over the years at Paignton is impressive; 22 1st or 1st=s and 2 second places in 24 years. Yet another 7/7 result, to add to his fine nationwide run seemed a near certainty.

Except that not everything went his way. Colin Rose, the hotel’s maintenance man, regularly passed through the analysis room and book stall, carrying a pot of paint and a brush on his way to a job he was doing out the back. He freely admitted he knew nothing about chess – “couldn’t even set the board up, mate”, but still enjoyed a bit of good-natured banter on his way past each time. Before the start of Rd. 4 he chirped up “How’s the big guy doing, then?” (i.e. Keith). “Pretty well”, I replied, “He’s a locked on certainty to win” “Not today, I don’t think. I’ve got him down for a draw – or maybe even a loss. That’s my prediction anyway” he quipped and on he went.

Sure enough, Keith was down to play Stephen Peters, for whom this was his first return to tournament chess after a lengthy absence. Game drawn. “I was never in it at any point” said Keith afterwards. “Never had any advantage”. Little did he know how the odds of a win were stacked against him from the outset. After that it was plain sailing, but he still had to settle for 6½/7.

Not all attention was focussed on the GM, of course, as prize money totalling £3,600 was spread among 42 players.

The full prizelist was as follows:

66th Paignton Congress 2016

4th – 10th September Livermead House Hotel, Torquay

Prize List

Premier

/7

£

1st

Keith Arkell

2452

Paignton

6½

400

2nd

Ashley Stewart

2068

Royston

4½

300

3rd=

Graham Bolt

2024

Exeter

4

100

Stephen Peters

2136

Aylesbury

4

100

Mike Waddington

2075

Dorchester

4

100

GP U-2026

Steve Dilleigh

1984

Horfield

3½

10

Dave Littlejohns

2008

Taunton

3½

10

Adrian Pickersgill

1986

Hastings

3½

10

Jonathan Wells

1997

N. Norfolk

3½

10

Slow start (0/2)

Daniel Gibbs

1808

Brentwood

2½

20

18 entrants

A. Stewart took the British Championship 2017 QP

Challengers (U-180)

/7

£

1st=

N. Burrows

172

Cowley

5½

250

A. Milnes

167

Cavendish

5½

250

3rd=

K. Hurst

174

E. Budleigh

5

34

J. Hickman

162

Reading

5

34

R. Everson

179

Dartford

5

34

GP U-158

Y. Tello

156

Wimbledon

4½

30

GP U-143

G. Naldrett

135

Gerards Cross

4½

30

Slow start

J. Robertson

134

E. Kilbride

3

20

43 entrants

Minor (U-135)

/7

1st

L. Bullock

130

Hackney

5½

300

2nd=

E. Fierek

130

Gloucester

5

75

D. Gilbert

131

DHSS

5

75

G. Parfett

130

Athenium

5

75

G. Shepherd

131

Church Stretton

5

75

GP U-126

R. Burroughs

103

Malvern

4

7.50

R. Hamilton

125

Metropolitan

4

7.50

P. Gordon

119

BCA

4

7.50

R. Waters

108

BCA

4

7.50

GP U-101

M. Cox

89

Southampton

3

12.50

P. Broderick

97

Newport (Salop)

3

12.50

H. Welch

97

Seaton

3

12.50

R. Cox

86

Southampton

3

12.50

33 entrants

Boniface 5 Rd. A.M. (U-180)

/5

1st

B. G. Gosling

159

E. Budleigh

4

300

2nd=

J. E. Hickman

162

Reading

3½

150

R. Puchades

164

Cosham

3½

150

GP U-159

N. Mahoney

147

Barmby Dun

3

25

20 entrants

Thynne 5 Rd. A.M. (U-135)

1st

N. G. Andrews

124

York

4

300

2nd=

P. Foster

126

Medway

3½

75

A. Collins

130

Cowley

75

M. A. Roberts

131

Holmes Chapel

3½

75

J. Shaddick

124

Basingstoke

3½

75

GP U-125

M. Cuggy

121

Brixham

3

25

Slow start

C. Doidge

124

Teignmouth

2½

20

22 entrants

General view from one angle

General view from another angle (standing gent hasn't moved)

Meanwhile, the view from outside the analysis room. Berry Head, beyond Brixham, on the horizon

The view from the venue back to Torquay seafront

Stephen Peters vs Jonathan Wells

In the Challengers, Megan O'Brian (Plymouth) makes a move against Michael Marshall (Exmouth).

Wendy Carr poised to move against Hazel Welch.

Keith Arkell enjoys some banter with Stephen Peters before the start of their game, but the result had already been correctly forecast by the Hotel Handyman

Brian Gosling (East Budleigh) makes a move in his final game to clinch his clear 1st in the top 5 Rd. Morning section.

The Paignton Congress started on Sunday with another slight drop in entries, and some talk among players and organisers about the possible reasons for this, including comparisons between the relative virtues of its original venue of 62 years, Oldway Mansion, and its current one at the Livermead House Hotel. The latter is an excellent venue, but there seems to be an unconscious yearning for a return to its roots.

As is well-known, Oldway was acquired by James Brent’s Akkeron Group, with promises of turning the main building into a luxury hotel and hopes that the congress might be able to return there. But nothing was done as Brent and the Torbay Council locked horns over the best way to proceed. In January Akkeron sued the Council for £8 million in damages, but this also came to nothing, and meanwhile Oldway continued to decay. Now, for the sake of the building before it becomes too far gone to do anything with, Brent has washed his hands of the whole project, and Oldway is back in Council hands.

Inspectors representing Historic England, recently checked the fabric of the building inside and out, and have reported that the empty building is not deteriorating as badly as many feared. So if the Council can obtain the necessary funds from a variety of sources, including the National Lottery and various heritage funds, there may be some hope that the Congress may be able to return there one day.

Meanwhile, local Grandmaster, Keith Arkell is a nailed-on certainty to win the Premier, so far ahead is he in grading of the other 17 players in that section. We can only admire the seven games he will have played by the last round this afternoon. Here, for example, is his Rd. 1 game which features a very short, sharp finish.

The world’s largest chess tournament, the Delancy UK Chess Challenge, which annually attracts between 40 – 70 thousand children, came to a thrilling finale in Loughborough recently, with prizewinners at all age groups, and not always the expected ones.

However, it may be a finale in more ways than one, as Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs have declared bankrupt the event’s organiser for the last 21 years, Mike Basman, with a VAT bill of c. £⅓ million for an unpaid 20% tax on the children’s entry fees. Even now, the authorities are assessing his assets to see whether being forced to sell his house in Chessington would cover the bill.

Last January the law was changed to allow not-for-profit sports organisations to benefit from tax breaks. One hundred different sports were so advantaged, including Boccia, Tchoukball, Octopush and Arm-wrestling, to name but four (don’t ask what they are, but the other 96 may be found on the HMRC website), but “mind sports” like chess and bridge were excluded. The English Bridge Union appealed against the ruling but was unsuccessful.

Basman’s case is that he works tirelessly in his own time for the benefit of children, happily pays up to £12,000 VAT per annum on badges, trophies etc. but to become VAT-registered himself in order to process the entry fees would involve the nightmare of accountants, rigorous book-keeping, tax inspections etc. after which the schools would claim back their VAT payments anyway, making the whole exhausting rigmarole pointless.

Many of the children involved are among the country’s very brightest and best, and will be competing in their age-group at world level, as have previous winners. Compare this treatment by the Government to that of our recently returned Olympic heroes and heroines who have had about £⅓ billion of Lottery money spent on them.

Mike Basman deserves a gold medal himself, yet for all his efforts, freely given over two decades, faces being turned out onto the street.

It is also in stark contrast to the way HMRC deals with global businesses like Amazon, Starbucks et al, tentatively asking whether they could possibly spare a few crumbs from their massive profits by way of tax. It’s another example of the old saying about the law being “good at catching sparrows while the eagle soars free”.

The event website, delanceyukschoolschesschallenge.com contains details of all prizewinners, photographs, games, etc. and a petition page where anyone can register their wish to have chess de-registered from VAT like all physical sports. Basman also encourages anyone concerned over the issue to write to their MP, requesting a credible explanation and some effort to get things changed.

The solution to last week’s 3-mover was 1.Bg6! and whatever Black tries White has 2.Bh5 and 3.Qe2 mate.

In this position, Black can survive for 2 moves but will be powerless against White’s 3rd move.

The Paignton Congress starts next weekend, and overall entries are currently down on previous years but organisers are hoping for a last minute rush of entries to balance things up. Entry forms are downloadable from chessdevon.co.uk.

Here is a game from Paignton in 1955.

White: Sir Philip Milner-Barry. Black: Harry Golombek.

Notes by the winner.

Sicilian Defence – Wing Gambit [B10].

1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e5 c5 As played by Golombek against Penrose at the recent British Championship. Penrose replied 4.c4, which did not seem very effective. 4.b4 cxb4 5.a3 bxa3 6.Nxa3 A sort of Wing Gambit in which White has answered d4 with e5 – normally a poor move when the Black queen’s bishop can get out, but White has here an extra tempo. 6…Nc6 7.Be2 Bg4 8.d4 e6 9.0–0 Nge7 10.c3 Nf5 11.Qd3 So as to bring the queen and king’s bishop to their most hopeful attacking posts as quickly as possible. 11…Be7 12.h3 Bxf3 13.Qxf3 h5 14.Bd3 g6 15.Nc2 Rc8 16.Bd2 Qd7 White has very little for the pawn, but his defensive position, based on the c3 pawn is very strong, and as the course of the game shows, the Black king’s wing is not as invulnerable as it looks. 17.Ne3 Kf8 Clearly he does not want to exchange on e3, giving White the f-file. 18.g3 a6 19.Ng2 Kg7 20.Nf4 Nh6 21.Kg2 White must be prepared to double rooks on the h-file, in case Black should exchange pawns when White plays g4. 21…Na7 22.g4 h4 23.Ne2 A further regrouping to play f4 and eventually f5. 23…Nb5 24.Qe3 Na3 25.f4 Black’s hold on f5 is so strong that White must face an eventual sacrifice. I considered seriously Rxa3 at once, so as to preserve the valuable white-square bishop; but eventually decided not to commit myself irrevocably just yet. 25…Nc4 26.Bxc4 dxc4 I had rather expected Rxc4 27.Kh2 Qc6 28.Rf2 Kf8 29.Rg1 Ke8 30.f5 exf5! Again best. If 30…gxf5 White would break through with 31.g5 and g6. 31.g5 f4 31…Ng8 32.Nf4 leaves Black sadly cramped. If 32…Qe4 33.Qxe4 fxe4 34.Re2 followed by d5. 32.Nxf4 Nf5 33.Qe1 Qc7 34.Nd5 Now 34.d5 could be met by 34…Bc5 34…Qd8 35.Nf6+ Kf8 The best chance was 35…Bxf6 36.exf6+ Kd7 37.Bf4 I doubt if the position can ultimately be held. 36.Qe4 Rc6 37.Rxf5 gxf5 38.Qxf5 39.d5 and 39.g6 were both threats. 38…Bxf6 39.gxf6 Qd5 39…Ke8 comes to much the same. e.g. 40.Qg4 Qa5 41.Qg7 Rf8 42.Bh6 Qa3 43.d5 followed by d6. 40.Qg5 Ke8 41.Qg7 Rb6 If 41…Rf8 42.Bh6; or if 41…Rh5 42.Qg8+ Kd7 43.Qg4+. 42.Qxh8+ Kd7 43.Qxh4 Rb2 44.Rg2 a5 45.Qg4+ 1-0. On the move follows e6. The most interesting game that I have played for many years. I do not know when Black went wrong; perhaps White’s 4th move is better than it looks.